Can you talk to the counsellors on the 121 chat during the night (1-7:30am) about the things you talk to them about during the day or can you only talk to them about emergencies?
Hi there,
Childline counsellors are here to support all of the time, including at night. But between 1am and 7.30am we have fewer counsellors and they work differently to during the day. You should always tell someone, like an adult you trust or talk to us at night if you feel unsafe or like you might be hurt.
During the daytime and up until around 1am our counsellors can talk to you about anything that's on your mind. During the night things change and we might ask more questions about keeping you safe. There might be other things you want to talk about but we may ask you to come back in the morning to talk about them.
You'll probably find that the wait to speak to someone on 1-2-1 chat during the night can be much longer than during the day. The quickest way to talk to someone is by calling 0800 11 11 and the counsellors will support you the same way as they would online. They'll want to make sure you are safe first, and if you're safe, they may ask you to come back in the morning.
If there are things on your mind that are stopping you from sleeping then we have advice content on the website that might help. Our message boards are a place where you can read posts from other young people. You could also write your own post if you have something you want to share.
The mood journal in your locker is a space where you can write about how you're feeling and what's going on for you. It's private so only you and Childline can see what you've written. Writing things down can really help when something is on your mind.
We also have games and the Art box for when you need to express yourself or let off some steam.
I hope that answers your question, take care.
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.
